People smugglers on Turkey’s west coast have resorted to stealing fishing boats and luxury yachts to deal with a dramatic surge in demand from migrants looking to cross into Europe.
Gangs are being forced to adapt to the soaring numbers and are in some cases even offering swift jet ski rides to the island of Lesbos to keep up with growing demand.
Over the summer, the numbers seeking to reach EU territory has risen to levels not seen since Brussels signed a 2016 deal with Ankara to stem the flow.
Aegean Boat Report, a Norwegian NGO that monitors crossings, reported a 250 per cent year-on-year rise in the numbers reaching the Greek islands, from 3,900 in September 2018 to more than 9,800 so far…
To continue reading this article
Start a 30-day free trial for unlimited access to Premium articles
- Unlimited access to Premium articles
- Subscriber-only events and experiences
- Cancel any time
Free for 30 days
then only £2 per week
Try Premium
Save 25% with an annual subscription
Just £75 per year
Save now
Register for free and access one Premium article per week
Register
Only subscribers have unlimited access to Premium articles.Register for free to continue reading this article
RegisterOr unlock all Premium articles.
Free for 30 days, then just £1 per week
Start trial
Save 40% when you pay annually.
View all subscription options |
Already have an account? Login